Fruit box



Sept. 9, 1941. A. w. PFEFFER FRUIT BOX Filed Feb. 2, 1940 Patented Sept. 9, 194-1 virso 1 Claim.

The object of this invention is to provide an open top shipping box for fruit, vegetablesor the like, and the invention relates to the box, and also to a portion of the box as an article of manufacture.

Fruit and like boxes, whether shipped by freight or trucks, are stacked one upon the other, and the piles of stacked boxes are usually disposed in close relation. However, the stopping and starting jolts to which the boxes are subjected during transport often shifts the boxes out of their initially stacked relation, thereby causing one end of a super-imposed box to be shifted out of alinement with its supporting box sufiiciently to permit a bottom end of a superimposed. box to descend upon the contents of its supporting box and injure the contents of the latter. This is particularly true of the open top shipping box where the contents is not protected by the upper slats previously employed to cover the contents.

It is a feature of this invention to upwardly extend, or provide extensions for the box ends of an open top fruit box so that the super-imposed box will be supported approximately at or above the level of the contents of the supporting box, and to provide these extensions, or at least one of them. with means for engaging the superimposedbox in a manner to prevent the latter from shifting longitudinally or angularly with respect to the subjacent box on which it is supported.

In the most improved form of the invention, this extension of the box ends is effected by meansof a oleat bar that is fixedly mounted onto the box ends, and which bar is equipped with means for supporting, and also means for retaining the super-imposed box in its initially disposed stacked relation upon the supporting box, and I claim this improved cleat bar as an article of manufacture.

Since in the most practical embodiment of this novel cleat bar it isnecessary to transversely Widen the upper portion thereof, whereby the latter will overhang the interior of the box, it is a feature to so shape the overhanging portidn in a manner to accommodate and thus prevent injury to adjacent fruit or like integers,

The invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claim,

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation, with parts broken away, showing one form of my invention, and the manner in which an upper box is super-imposed upon a lower supporting box.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line Z-2 of Fig. 1, looking toward the left of the latter.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of one end of a box showing the position of the bottom nailing cleat; as indicated by linev 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of one end of a box showing m improved retaining and supporting cleat bar, as indicated by line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation looking in the direction of arrow A of Fig. 1, showing the relation of the nailing cleat to the box end, bottom and one box side.

Fig. 6 is an isometric perspective View of the improved cleatbar showing its cleat receiving face and its retaining shoulder.

Fig, 7 is a view in side elevation thereof looking from the right of Fig. 6.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

In order better to illustrate the invention I have shown the bottom of an upper box, generally designated at B, as it would coact with a supporting box, generally designated at 0, when the former is super-imposed upon the latter. It will be understood that all the boxes are identical in size and equipment, hence the top of box 13, not shown, will be identical with the top of box C, and because the boxes are identical only one need be described in detail. However, the same reference numerals will be applied to both boxes.

The box is shown as having relatively thick box ends I and box sides 2, the latter usually being formed of a single thin board; These sides 2 are shown secured as by nails 3 to the edges of the box ends I, and th top edges of the box ends l and sides 2 occupy substantially the same plane. When the box is packed, the contents, such as fruit or vegetables, shown at D, will project above the box ends and sides. In order to obtain effective anchorage the bottom of the box, which is usually formed of slats 4, are secured by applying nailing cleats 5 transversely of slats and driving nails 6 .through the cleats 5 and slats 4. into the box ends l Thus, at each end of the bottom of each box a nailing cleat 5 will form a lower projection with which the device of my invention is intended;to coact.

Reference will next be made to what more particularly constitutes my invention.

In a broader sense I provide box ends of an increased height with respect to the box sides so as to extend the box ends above the box sides, and these extensions aiford protection for the contents at the ends of the box and also function to support the super-imposed box above the level of the projecting contents of the supporting box, which is important in an open top shipping box.

However, in practice I prefer to extend the height of the box ends by securing thereto an additional part, and in the present construction this extension takes the form of a combined retaining and supporting cleat bar, which is more particularly shown in Fig. 6, to which reference will next be made.

Said bar, which is generally indicated at E, has a bottom or lower face I of a width substantially equal to the thickness of a box end I so that when it is secured thereto the outer face 8 will be substantially flush with the outside face of the box end. This is important as projections are eliminated in these boxes as far as possible. Likewise, it is important that the inner portion of said bar E should not project into the interior of the box at its juncture with the top edge of the box end, and that is a reason for proportioning the lower face I, as stated.

The upper portion of the bar E is widened transversely of its length in a direction away from its outer face 8, so as to project into overhanging relation to the interior of the box, as indicated at 9. Now it is an important feature of the invention to shape this overhanging portion in a manner to avoid injury to the box contents, and I have shown the inner face I'D concavely curved so as to accommodate convex portion of adjacent fruit or other integers, as more particularly shown at the broken away part of box C.

The top or upper face of the bar is divided into two distinct sections or portions each performing a distinct function.

As shown, this upper face has a relatively outwardly disposed fiat box seating face ll extending preferably throughout the length of the bar,

and it will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 that this seating face is disposed nearest the end of the box and is thus outwardly disposed. This seating face I l is adapted to receive the nailing cleat 5 and is sufficiently wider than the latter to afford ample clearance, as a close fit is not either essential or desirable because of the variation in these boxes due to the rapidity with which they are made.

Said upper portion is also provided with a relatively inwardly disposed and outwardly facing shoulder portion I2, which is formed as a result of the recessed seating face II, and which is slightly elevated from said face II, the extreme upper part being indicated at I3. This outwardly facing shoulder portion is adapted for engagement with an inner edge of a nailing cleat 5, as shown in Fig. 1. Although not essentially necessary, I prefer to make the shoulder portion l2, like the seating face'portion II, continuous and substantially coextensive with the length of bar E, as this simplifies and results in a very great economy in the cost of production, as it has a uniform cross section. Further, the bar E is preferably made substantially coextensive in length with respect to the length of the box end to which it is to be attached.

In practice the bar E is disposed in the position shown in Fig. 1 and nails M are driven through it into the box end to securely and fixedly hold the bar E in place, as a permanent part of the box, and which thereby constitutes an extension of the box end.

It is believed the manner of use, and the advantages of the invention, will be clear from the foregoing description but certain advantages that might not otherwise be clear, will be specifically pointed out.

It may be stated that the boxes, equipped as shown in Fig. 1, will be stacked one upon the other in the usual manner, and hence the addition of my improvements will not in any manner alter or impede the usual handling methods for transport. The seating faces I I are made wide enough to afford ample clearance between the opposed shoulder portions 12, and the inner edges of the nailing cleats 5, so that the boxes may be stacked as rapidly as they could be in the absence of my invention, without any loss of time in registering a super-imposed box.

Further, it will be seen that because the shoulder portions l2 and the cleats 5 are in parallel relation, a super-imposed box will not only be prevented from shifting longitudinally of its supporting box, but will also be prevented from shifting angularly thereto.

It is important to understand that while these boxes are stacked with the stacks in close relation, still, sudden starting or stopping of trucks and freight cars has often resulted in shifting entire groups of boxes in a plurality of stacks, especially the uppermost boxes, thereby causing the ends to slide off from their supporting boxes onto the exposed contents thereof and injure the fruit or vegetables. Therefore, it will be seen that by means of my invention the great saving that results from omitting the box tops can be fully realized, and the otherwise disadvantage of possible injury to the exposed fruit can be positively prevented.

It is believed that the invention Will be clearly understood from the foregoing description, and while I have herein shown one specific form of my improved box, and the article of manufacture therefor, I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claim may import.

I claim:

In combination, an open top shipping box having end walls, sides and a bottom, the upper edges of the end and side walls lying in a common plane, a separate box supporting and retaining cleat fixedly secured on the top edge of each box end, each supporting cleat having a bottom face substantially equal in thickness of the box end to which it is secured, and an outer face flush with the outer face of the box end, the upper portion of said cleat being laterally widened and extending inwardly in overhanging relation to the interior of the box and having an inner face longitudinally concavedly curved from said bottom face towards the upper portion, the upper face of said cleat being cut away longitudinally thereof adjacent its outer edge to provide a medial longitudinal shoulder and a stripped seating surface to receive a bottom nailing cleat of a super-imposed box, said shoulder engaging an edge of the nailing cleat to prevent relative longitudinal or angular shifting mov ments between the boxes.

ANTON W. PFEFFER. 

